25.16
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 25. Nirvāṇa (निर्वाण) / 25.16
नैवाभावो नैव भावो निर्वाणं यदि विद्यते नैवाभावो नैव भाव इति केन तदज्यते
naivābhāvo naiva bhāvo nirvāṇaṃ yadi vidyate naivābhāvo naiva bhāva iti kena tad ajyate
The line
If nirvāṇa (निर्वाण) is found to be neither nonexistent nor existent, by what is that 'neither nonexistent nor existent' made known?
नेपालीमा
यदि निर्वाण नभएको होइन र भएको होइन भनी पाइन्छ भने त्यो नभएको होइन र भएको होइन कुन कुराले चिनाइन्छ?
Where it sits
25.15 said the formula needs bhāva (भाव) and abhāva (अभाव) already established. 25.16 says it also needs a way of being known. 25.17 moves from nirvāṇa (निर्वाण) to the Buddha: after cessation, he is not said to be, or not to be, or both, or neither.
Split: na (न) + eva (एव) + abhāvaḥ (अभावः) + na (न) + eva (एव) + bhāvaḥ (भावः) + nirvāṇam (निर्वाणम्) + yadi (यदि) + vidyate (विद्यते) + na (न) + eva (एव) + abhāvaḥ (अभावः) + na (न) + eva (एव) + bhāvaḥ (भावः) + iti (इति) + kena (केन) + tat (तत्) + ajyate (अज्यते)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | even. |
| abhāvaḥ (अभावः) | nominative singular, masculine | a nonexistent. Written abhāvo (अभावो) before na (न). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | even. |
| bhāvaḥ (भावः) | nominative singular, masculine | an existent. Written bhāvo (भावो) before nirvāṇam (निर्वाणम्). |
| nirvāṇam (निर्वाणम्) | nominative singular, neuter | nirvāṇa (निर्वाण). |
| yadi (यदि) | indeclinable | if. |
| vidyate (विद्यते) | present, third person singular, middle | is found. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | even. |
| abhāvaḥ (अभावः) | nominative singular, masculine | a nonexistent. The formula repeated, so kena (केन) has a target. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | even. |
| bhāvaḥ (भावः) | nominative singular, masculine | an existent. Written bhāva (भाव) before iti (इति). |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus, quoting 'it is neither.' |
| kena (केन) | instrumental singular, masculine | by what. By what means of knowing. The instrumental of kim (किम्). |
| tat (तत्) | nominative singular, neuter | that. |
| ajyate (अज्यते) | present passive, third person singular | is made known, is declared. From aj (अज्), in the sense of a statement being driven through. |
The phrases
If the formula is true, something has to make it known. kena (केन) asks for that means. A means that grasped nirvāṇa (निर्वाण) as neither a bhāva (भाव) nor an abhāva (अभाव) would be grasping it as a something with a describable nature. The question is the pressure. The verse does not supply a faculty that sees nirvāṇa (निर्वाण) as an object.
The first line repeats the formula so the kena (केन) has a clear target.
Sanskrit in this line
kena (केन) is the instrumental of kim (किम्), 'by what.' It asks for a pramāṇa (प्रमाण). The verse leaves the question standing.
Say it back
What is kena (केन) asking for?